(MINNEAPOLIS)—Augsburg College will become Augsburg University effective September 1.

The change reflects the reality that Augsburg already offers nine graduate degree programs—including Minnesota’s first program for physician assistants—in addition to its more than 50 undergraduate degree programs.

“Becoming Augsburg University does not change our dedication to our liberal arts mission or our commitment to being small to our students and big for the world,” said Augsburg President Paul C. Pribbenow.

“As we lean into our reality as a university, we will continue our drive toward the intentional diversity for which we are known. We will ensure we are student-ready and can provide those of academic ability with opportunities for hands-on learning, undergraduate research, international study, and internships so that all Auggies are prepared to share their gifts and talents with the world.”

The name change decision was made after a thorough review that included conducting market research, studying the process and impact of name changes by other institutions, and holding open dialogue sessions with a broad set of stakeholders, including students, alumni, faculty, staff, and regents.

About Augsburg: Augsburg offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and nine graduate degrees to nearly 3,600 students of diverse backgrounds at its campus in the vibrant center of the Twin Cities and the Rochester site. Augsburg educates students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders. An Augsburg education is defined by excellence in the liberal arts and professional studies, guided by the faith and values of the Lutheran church, and shaped by its urban and global settings.

(MINNEAPOLIS) — On Monday, January 30, Augsburg College President Paul C. Pribbenow and Provost Karen Kaivola issued a statement to College students, faculty, and staff about recent executive orders issued by President Donald J. Trump related to immigration and to undocumented/DACA students. Below is the statement the President and Provost issued.

Dear Augsburg Community,

We are deeply troubled by the recent Presidential executive orders on immigration: they run counter to the values of this institution and of our nation. We do not accept the intolerance which the new immigration policies promote. Augsburg’s history is rich with the contribution of individuals who came to America; indeed, founded by Norwegian immigrants, Augsburg has an immigrant sensibility and will stand firm in the face of threats to our community and our immigrant neighbors.

We write today to affirm our commitment to provide a safe learning and working environment with equitable access to education for all members of our campus community. We will not back down on that commitment. We will use all the resources at our disposal to ensure that you complete your degrees, can come to and from work safely, and can thrive as valued members of our community. Your well-being is our priority.

Augsburg is a community that cares deeply about our students, staff and faculty. Many members of our campus community are impacted by these actions. We are focused intently on the educational and work experience of our students, staff, and faculty, their lives in the world and their promise. We have a long-standing commitment to hospitality and justice and we will resist changes that run against our values. We will not stand by and allow our values to be trodden upon. It’s a personal commitment we make and it is one shared by all of us at Augsburg. We live it out every day. We don’t step backward, we step forward, and we are proud of this community because of that.

These values are central to how we will respond in support of students who are affected by changes in undocumented and immigration status. We will double down on our commitments to hospitality and justice, to supporting our students’ success and to keeping them safe. We will advocate at the state and federal level for policies that support all of our students.

Previously a Humanist chaplain at Harvard and Yale, Stedman now a Sabo Fellow

(MINNEAPOLIS) — Interfaith activist and author Chris Stedman ‘08 joins Augsburg College as a fellow of the Martin O. Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship where he will facilitate and build new community partnerships for non-religious and interfaith civic engagement. Stedman also will consult on the development of interfaith engagement programs at Augsburg.

“We are excited to welcome Chris back to Augsburg where his interfaith work began nearly a decade ago as an undergraduate,” said Augsburg College President Paul Pribbenow. “Chris returns to us a successful author and a national leader and thinker on the Humanist movement. His work as a Sabo Fellow is testament to our commitment to interfaith dialogue so needed in our ever-diversifying society.”

Stedman’s work with the Sabo Center comes at an important time in Minnesota given the state’s rapidly increasing diversity of faiths combined with the growing number of “nones,” also known as religiously unaffiliated, and the nonreligious. According to Pew Research Center, 23 percent of adults as of 2015 identified as “nones.” Continue reading “Interfaith activist Chris Stedman ’08 returns to Augsburg”→

Diverse Public Events Designed to Create Engaging Conversations

(MINNEAPOLIS) — Augsburg College during January and February is hosting a wide range of campus events that are open to the public and designed to create meaningful dialogue among students, faculty, staff and the greater community on issues shaping our world.

Free, public events include:

1 p.m., Jan. 16: Nekima Levy-Pounds on “Renewing King’s Call for Social Justice, Equity, and Inclusion, In An Age of Demagoguery”

About Augsburg College: Augsburg College offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and nine graduate degrees to nearly 3,600 students of diverse backgrounds at its campus in the vibrant center of the Twin Cities and its site in Rochester, Minn. Augsburg educates students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders. An Augsburg education is defined by excellence in the liberal arts and professional studies, guided by the faith and values of the Lutheran church, and shaped by its urban and global settings.

Class of 2020 is 45 percent persons of color

(MINNEAPOLIS) — Augsburg College at 10:15 a.m., today, welcomes it’s most diverse, first-year undergraduate class — with more than 45 percent persons of color. At the same time, the College is announcing its initial equity framework to remove the social, institutional and individual barriers that contribute to inequity.

This important work garnered support from the St. Paul Foundation — a grant of $10,000 and the opportunity for additional funding as the framework takes shape.

“Working to foster diversity and inclusivity has been a cornerstone of the Augsburg promise for many years and is an important extension of our commitment to social justice and equity,” said Augsburg College President Paul Pribbenow.

“We are honored to have the support of the St. Paul Foundation which places high importance on racial equity work. We know, as a democracy college, that Minnesota is strengthened by the diversity of its people and that educating persons of diverse backgrounds who learn at the intersection of differences is what best prepares young people to become engaged citizens and educated problem solvers.”

Since 2006, Augsburg has more than tripled the percentage of persons of color in the full undergraduate student body, growing from 11 percent in 2006 to 33 percent in 2016.

Through this work, the College has earned a leading reputation for demonstrating a unique way of engaging in the work of higher education. Within the Minnesota Private College Council, the overall enrollment average among schools includes 27 percent first-generation students and 20 percent Pell-eligible students. Augsburg leads the state among private, four-year institutions with nearly 50 percent of students who are first-generation and more than 40 percent of students who are Pell-eligible.

(MINNEAPOLIS) — The 28th annual Nobel Peace Prize Forum, an international peace congress, is June 6-8 in Bloomington, Minnesota. Kailash Satyarthi, who was awarded the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize for his work liberating more than 80,000 children from slavery in his home country of India, will present each day of the Forum.

Satyarthi will share his work to eliminate child slavery and child trafficking. To date, he and his organization Bachpan Bachao Andolan (Save the Childrem Movement) have rescued more than 85,000 children in India from slavery and exploitation, enrolled the children in school, and pioneered India’s first child-protection laws.

“We’re so honored to welcome Kailash Satyarthi to the Forum to share insights and experiences from his life’s work, and to do so at the center of a network of peace builders who are working to ensure more widespread and lasting success on these vital efforts to improve quality of life and opportunity for people around the world,” said Gina Torry, executive director of the Forum.

“It is through an embrace of innovation, collaboration, dialogue and the moral daring exhibited by leaders such as Kailash Satyarthi that we can identify and address peace and security implications of — and connections among — human trafficking, migration, refugees and climate change.”

(MINNEAPOLIS) — The 28th annual Nobel Peace Prize Forum will host Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Kailash Satyarthi from June 6-8. Satyarthi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 for his work liberating more than 80,000 children from slavery in his home country of India. In addition to sharing his work to eliminate child slavery, Satyarthi will identify and address at the Forum peace and security implications of — and connections among — human trafficking, migration, refugees and climate change.

Spring 2016 undergraduate class is the most diverse in College’s history

The Augsburg College community on Saturday, April 30, will celebrate the success of students from its Minneapolis and Rochester campuses, including the traditional undergraduate class that is comprised of more than 42 percent students of color.

In the past 10 years, since Augsburg College President Paul C. Pribbenow has led the institution, the College has more than tripled the percentage of persons of color in the full undergraduate student body – growing from 11 percent in 2006 to 33 percent in 2016.

“We know that in order to secure a vital and vibrant future for our cities, state, and region, we must be united in our drive for equity. Our location in the city – in one of the most diverse ZIP codes in the nation – allows Auggies the unique advantage of leveraging the richness and abundance that these many forms of diversity offer.”

State-of-the-art Hagfors Center a living demonstration of College commitment to equity, diversity

MINNEAPOLIS — Groundbreaking for Augsburg College’s state-of-the-art, interdisciplinary Norman and Evangeline Hagfors Center for Science, Business and Religion is Friday.

More than 350 alumni, faculty, students, donors and friends of the College are expected to celebrate the groundbreaking for the Hagfors Center, designed to foster intersections among areas of study, support active learning, and connect the College to the community.

“The Hagfors Center is a living demonstration of the College’s dedication to interdisciplinary student learning, urban placemaking and thoughtful stewardship. Our commitment to equity and intentional diversity – our pledge to prepare students of academic ability to solve the most complex problems of our world – will be on view Saturday when we celebrate the success of students from Minneapolis and Rochester, including a traditional undergraduate class with more than 42 percent students of color,” said Augsburg College President Paul C. Pribbenow.

“The new Hagfors Center, which will create learning at the intersections of science, business and religion, is a commitment to our Lutheran heritage and identity. It’s also a promise to explore diverse viewpoints, rich faith traditions, socioeconomic backgrounds, gender expressions, military commitments, learning styles and more.”

In the 10 years since Pribbenow has led the institution, Augsburg has more than tripled the percentage of persons of color in the full undergraduate student body – growing from 11 percent in 2006 to 33 percent in 2016.

MINNEAPOLIS — Patrice Salmeri, director of Augsburg College’s StepUP® Program for students in recovery and President of the Association of Recovery in Higher Education, is a national expert available to talk to media about President Barack Obama’s announcement to bolster medial services for persons in recovery from substance abuse disorders.

When: Salmeri is available until 6:30 p.m., beginning immediately following President Barack Obama’s announcement. (Watch President Obama on the White House live stream at 2:15 p.m. EST at https://www.whitehouse.gov/live.)

What: Salmeri can address the importance of eliminating stigma by:

Shifting language used to describe these disorders. For instance, rather than using the term “addiction,” shifting to “substance abuse disorders” to recognize that addiction is a medical issue.

Full Bio: Patrice Salmeri is the Director of the StepUP® Program at Augsburg College in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the largest residential collegiate recovery programs in the nation. She also serves as the President of the Association of Recovery in Higher Education.

She is a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor, holds a Master’s Degree in Human Development specializing in leadership and spirituality, and also serves as an adjunct faculty member at Augsburg teaching courses related to chemical dependency. During Salmeri’s tenure as Director of StepUP, the program has experienced a 250 percent increase in the quantity of young people in recovery pursuing a college education.

In 2011, The U.S. Department of Education appointed Salmeri a Fellow for the United States Department of Education’s Higher Education Center for Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Violence Prevention. In 2013, The Association for Recovery in Higher Education presented Patrice with The Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Contribution to Collegiate Recovery.